Saturday morning, 07:30 and the sunshine streams into our room in Merano.
Yesterday we looked out on teeming rain; and a little later, as we drove towards the start the email arrived to inform us that the stage was cancelled.
It wasn’t a big surprise, up on the valley walls the trees were coated with snow and the spikey peaks were pure ‘winter wonderland.’
It was park up and think of ‘Plan B’ time.
A quick look at the Gazzetta over a cappuccino had Vincenzo in his pomp dominating the front page; it’s always good to take a stage victory en route your Grand Tour win.
We had an invite to the Castelli factory, but they had a big sales meeting taking place, so that was a non starter.
‘Plan C’ – contact press officers for interviews, Astana and BMC with both said, ‘no problem.’
However there’s the matter of finding their hotels (tricky when you’re given the wrong name) and then finding a time to suit the riders who have to go for a pedal, nap and food on what was in effect an impromptu rest day.
It was 16:30 when we arrived at the BMC team hotel – and when the team hits town, you know about it.
A fleet of immaculate vehicles dominates the street with cars not just washed but chamoised dry; I’ve seen plenty of team vehicles washed – but never chamoised.
Cuddles bike was on the turbo – after his ‘giornato no’ in the mountain time trial I’m guessing he’d be more than happy not to ride the Stelvio.